John Rumm wrote:
On 16/03/2011 22:59, Owain wrote:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotlan...-west-12765545
and
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotlan...-west-12752128

A toddler died after playing with a plug left with exposed wires, a
fatal accident inquiry (FAI) has heard...
The hearing at Glasgow Sheriff Court was told his mother Claire
Hughes found him after it is alleged a handyman left the plug when
fitting a new oven.
....
The inquiry was told she recalled seeing a plug on a couch before the
workmen left but did not realise that wires were exposed and did not
see Liam handling it.
Mr Rough, a retired handyman who has no formal qualifications in
electrical work, told the inquiry he left the plug lying on the floor
beside the old oven but did not put it on a couch.
He said the cable on the new oven was too short so he disconnected
the plug in the living room, and left it lying beside the old oven.

[The BBC also has the sub-head "Fuse bypassed"]

'Fuse bypassed'

The inquiry also heard from specialist health and safety inspector
John Madden, who said it was likely that the child had grabbed the
exposed live and neutral wires.

The inspector told the inquiry that this meant that the fuse in the
plug never blew and stopped the current from passing to Liam.

[Not sure how that "bypassed" the fuse.]

Probably conflating issues - if he chopped the plug off and then wired
the flex into something permanent that was not a FCU, it may have
bypassed the fuse. However that would only be a factor affecting
protection of the oven's flex and nothing to do with the toddler -
although this is perhaps something the prosecution might bring into
the discussion to question the competence of the handyman, and
attempt to associate blame even if it was not in reality a
contributing factor in the accident?

Words like "fuse bypassed" do not help with the story. Also there is
reference to a cable that was left. It would seem possible that the workman
had removed all the flex from the cooker and reused the old flex.


--
Adam